


Angel's Shadow

by Shadowfire23



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, F/M, Fallen, dark vs light, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-05-19 02:10:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14864660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowfire23/pseuds/Shadowfire23
Summary: In a world where dark and light are very real forces, one group stands to keep the peace. The other aims for chaos.Follow shadow and Kade on their quest to bring balance between the forces of dark and Light.But which is of the dark and which is the light? The angels, or the fallen? And what happens to those in between?





	1. Prolouge

         My breath shudders as I am slammed into the concrete wall. My vision goes blurry for a second before I get up again. The man opposite from me gasps. “What….. What are you?” I look at him and my face conveys everything I cannot say aloud. My oath binds me. I must act. He shudders again as I start forward. As he collapses to the ground I stand above him and whisper “Welcome to the afterlife.” My torso shudders as my muscles bunch and my wings spread in the predawn light. As I draw his soul to me, I feel a great weight slam into my side. The world goes dark as the soul is wrenched from my grasp. I gasp and sit up in bed, my heart racing with dread at the memory. My life is complicated and it’s hard to explain why, not without condemning anyone who reads this to death. Because no one can know what I am. Or why I’m here.


	2. One

     I pulled out my ponytail, feeling my curly hair bounce around my head in a crazy disordered mess. It always hurt my head to have my wild tangles restrained by the three hair ties, leaving the ends a wild bush, but out of my face. I am utterly ordinary, even ugly by some standards. I have mud brown eyes, shoulder length, wild honey brown hair, and a big frame. My hair is wild and curly, and quite thick - hence the necessities of three hair ties. It is a medium brown color with black low-lights and honey blonde highlights, in the sun.

      I had convinced my foster family to move so I could complete my assignment. I don’t think they understood my sudden urge to move to the coastal town of Oxnard. It really is quite pretty, even if the people who live there are rude. Our house was a short one story square with 2 bedrooms, one bath, and a living room kitchen combination. It was really more of an apartment than a house. My foster parents didn’t complain because they had been reimbursed. They just didn’t know why. They also wouldn’t remember me or why the moved here in a few months time when I returned home.

Though I am older - much older - than any of the students attending high school, my cover stated that I was in high school, junior year, and that I was 16. This would help forestall any explanation as to why an adult appeared to be teen-aged without extensive plastic surgery. It also allowed me to live near my charge without drawing attention to myself.

     I entered the low brick building with a sigh. High school. Again. As if I didn’t already have enough of their silly diplomas. As if I were to go to college, or get one of their silly jobs. Those were best left to the mortals I protected. You see, I cannot age. I get older, but my body does not. The only things that change are my wings and my hair. My wings will grow broader, the feathers longer, and my hair - well it will get longer too.

     I pass through my lessons, keeping an eye out for my charge. I don’t see him at all throughout the day and I am tempted to pay a visit to his home to see if he took today out sick when I spot him in the hall. Maybe he’s just shy, but he seems to be more afraid of something as he makes his way into my next class. History. I don’t pay much attention in any of my classes - I ace them without trying, and no doubt I will have to sit them many times more. Instead I focus on the people around me, to see if I can identify the reason I was assigned to this mortal. Kaden Alturino. Not a common name, and not a common face. He has a face typical of my kind.

    My looks are one of the few exceptions to the rule of beauty. I make up for that lacking with other ‘gifts’. I can heal just about any injury, and take the pain from others. I can influence them to forget, or make them remember far more that a person should. I can also do a wide variety of things others, except maybe the archangels, can’t. This may be because of who my father was, or who my mother is. The only beings I cannot put under my control are archangels, of which there are a select few, and fallen - pure mixes. Like me. Either way, I do not entirely belong on this world. Only about 1/16 of me belongs here. The rest is here on assignment.

    He was sitting across from me in history and staring at me. I looked away. I didn’t want to be stared at. I don’t like to draw attention to myself. It distracts me from protecting my charge. I focused my attention on the lesson and attempt to ignore the boy across from me. This turned out to be pointless, because I had just started ignoring him when our teacher announced that we would need partners for this next assignment. I was shocked when the boy got up and sat next to me, scooting his desk closer. Most humans have sensible enough instincts to stay away from my kind.Even if we are protecting them.

     “Is this seat taken?” His voice was soft and melodious, almost like rain sliding over a smooth granite surface. I felt the desk wobble and shift beneath me as I shifted my weight, and I took a deep steadying breath before responding.

     “Not taken, just not commonly occupied either.” My voice sounded high and strained to my ears. I hoped he didn’t notice. That would be embarrassing. “So… Why were you staring at me?” Traitorous mouth. I had meant to ask him what his name was, and before I could stop myself, I blurted “Sorry. That came out wrong, I meant to ask what your name was.” I held my breath, waiting for him to realize just who and what he was sitting with.

     He laughed, and my face turned a faint shade of pink. “My name is Kaden, but I would prefer to be known as Kade.” He took a breath before continuing “And I was staring .. because I was wondering if you were a ghost from my past come to haunt me for my mistake.” My mouth dropped open. That is not what I had thought he would say. I took a breath, but hadn't got so much as a word out before he continued yet again “And, because well…. “ He took another breath  “And because I think that you are one of the most beautiful creatures I have seen in my life.”

     My mouth dropped open before I could stop it, and my breath huffed out in shock. Before I could control my expression, he chuckled and flipped one of my unruly curls behind my ear. “There’s another beautiful thing about you. Your hair seems to have a life of its own.” He smiled and I saw that he had two cherub like dimples. I had to suppress a groan. Of course, he had dimples to go along with his roman like nose, chiseled jawline, and lushes lips. I glanced higher to observe his deep emerald green eyes and dark hair. He noticed me observing him and smiled again, flashing me with those dimples, and a set of straight, almost shockingly white teeth. “So what class do you have next?” His eye traced my unappealing features while he waited for an answer.

     “I … well.. None actually.” I stammered, and before I could continue, I was saved from further embarrassment by the bell. I was up and out the door before I could think to slow my movements. I passed quickly through the milling crowd to my locker, then rushed to my car. Gods what was wrong with me? My assignment talks to me and I lose my cool like a silly little teenage school girl. I am not silly, or a teenager, nor a schoolgirl. I locked my windows and drove down to the beach, trying to calm my breathing. It didn’t seem to work. I was still straining for breath when I reached the end of the dock.

     It was then I realized that it was too quiet for the normally noisy beach. I looked at the man selling hot dogs. He was frozen, his mouth open in the middle of a sentence. I realized that I couldn’t catch my breath not because of losing my cool with an assignment, but because I was in effect running a marathon. That is the effect of stalling time for any extended period had on my body. I was surprised I had kept it up this long. I took one last deep breath of the still air, then ran back to my car, returning to the school. I had to make this right. I walked back to where I was before time stalled, and Kade looked as if he was expecting something. I willed time to start, quickly catching my breath before he noticed my labored breathing.

 

      “I.. well..” Dear God! what was wrong with me? I had already said this line before I ran out the last time. He was just a boy! He was only my assignment! I couldn’t afford another mistake on my record. I pulled in a deep breath and started again “This is actually my last class of the day. School lets out at 3:15 here, and there are only 8 classes in a day.” He continued to smile through my rambling then quirked one leonine eyebrow. I wondered what was going through his mind right now, but I found I couldn't use my powers to read his emotions. That was strange. My powers worked against all humans. Unless…. No. He couldn’t have. He couldn't be. Could he? No. It wasn’t possible. I shouldn’t be possible, but another? No. It wouldn't happen.

      “Then you won’t mind if I walk you home, and continue to talk to you then?” My heart broke into a sprint and I swear I heard him laugh quietly under his breath. I wasn’t used to the feelings rolling through my body, and I wasn’t liking the roller coaster sensation.  I just stared at him, blood slowly turning my face crimson while my lungs complained from the lack of air. My vision became blurry and I sucked in a huge gasping breath right as the bell rings again, announcing the start of tutoring. We had been standing there for three minutes.

      “I…..I … I would like that thanks, Kade.” I stammered as he looked down, my face flushing an even deeper red. He didn’t move. I took a quick escape to keep from breaking down and admitting I needed to keep close to him right there. “I’ll meet you by my locker then.”  I stood and started to pick up my things when he didn’t respond. I looked down at my feet and slowly made my way out of the room, embarrassed that he had gotten through my shell so easily. I could not mess up another assignment. The Sabbatical disaster had nearly ruined me. I couldn’t afford another mistake.

      “Wait.” My footsteps slowed, and I turned to find him getting up to follow. “I don’t know your name. Or where your locker is.”

      I shot him an evil eye before responding “You’ll just have to follow me then.” He flushed under my glare and moved to stand beside me. He put a hand on my shoulder, and I flinched out from under his touch. “Don’t!....Touch…..Me!” I hissed in his face before starting for the door. My breathing was aggravated again, for I had sensed that he was in pain and hiding it. I extended my senses, but couldn't locate where he was hurt. Strange.

      “Let's get going then.” He was about three inches taller than me, and I had to look up to see his eyes. I quickly looked away when they seemed to pierce into my soul and delved into my deepest secrets. “You still haven’t told my your name.” I took a breath, looking up.

       “Shadow” I studied my shoes intently as I moved across the hall to my locker, looking up briefly to put my combination in. “ Don’t laugh. Please.” I opened the door and retrieved my bag. I turned slightly to the side, and continued “My mom named me that because I hardly ever cried when I was an infant, I just followed her movements with my eyes.” I put my books away and grabbed my coat. “I still don’t like to talk much. Never did. I prefer to be in the shadows, not the spotlight.” I closed my locker and turned to face the hall. “you’re being awfully quiet, Kade.” My eyes searched the hall, searching for him. The hall was mostly empty, save for a few gawking stragglers. “Course, find someone to talk to and he disappears first chance. Nice going idiot.” I banged my fist against the locker beside me, gasping when my hand plowed into something soft, yet firm. Something not the hard metal of a locker door. I push my bushy hair back and out of my face, turning my head further to the side. Kade is gasping for air as his eyes water, his hand clutching at his stomach.

     He groans. “Damn, Shadow, that's some punch you got there.” His face starts to flush pink as he struggles to breathe. He groans again then slides down the locker to the floor. I gasp quietly and follow him to the ground.

      “I am so sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I swear.” He groans as I speak, the color leaving his face. “Let me help, please Kade!” I lean in and remove his hand from his stomach, and replace it with my own. I focus on drawing the pain away and start to softly moan as his pain, and the tissue damage I caused, leave him and transfers to me. I gasp in shock as I feel the full extent of the damage my fist caused. “Oh Kade, I am so sorry, I never meant to hurt you.” He opens his and stares at me in shock, his hand flying to cover mine where I had punched him. I could feel his muscles knit back together and the bruise fade as he regains his breath.

      “What” he gasps “ What are you?” He continues to breathe heavily and I get to my feet, pulling him along.

      “That is another reason why I stay in the shadows.” He regains his composure as I lead him down the hall and out he door. The muscles on my stomach finish healing and the pain leaves, the bruise fading as I walk to the door.

     “Shadow.” It’s quiet, so quiet, I almost miss it. I turn and look at him, half expecting terror and hurt to show on his handsome face. “You didn’t have to take the pain. I would have been fine in a minute.” I look at him, then rub the newly healed muscles on both his and my stomach.

     “No. No you wouldn’t have. My blow was enough to split the muscle. You would have died had I not taken the injury from you. I’m supposed to protect people, not kill them. ” I look at him and sigh. “You wouldn’t understand. It is not in your nature to understand what I am.” I can feel my face get red as blood rushes to my cheeks, and I can feel the ghost of pain again as his abdomen muscles tense under my hand. I sigh and try to explain “I try to keep my interaction to the minimum, so my secret is not exposed. My foster parents don’t even know the full extent. They think I am 16. I learned to hide it before I could fly.” His eyes widen. Oops.

       “Fly? Did you just say before you could fly?” I sigh, and look at the shock crossing his face. I have to trust him now. He is probably already trying to guess what I have kept hidden for so long. I pull my hand away, and lead him over to my car. I open the door as he stares at me. My assignment just got a lot more complicated.

     “Look, you’re just going to have to trust that I won’t hurt you.” He looks at the car, then back at me. “We need to talk, and we can’t do it here, so unless you want me to knock you out and drag you there, you’re gonna have to get in the car.” He sighs and slides into the passenger seat of my midnight blue Honda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? Tell me what you think!


	3. Two

The tires on the Honda complain as I pull into the parking space. Kade looks at me in confusion. I sigh, already knowing what He is going to ask.

“The beach is your ‘private’ place? You do realize that there are bound to be hundreds of people here, right?” I laughed and shook my head at him. Of course he’s confused. Everyone I have brought here was confused at first.

“The beach isn’t my private place. My private place is down the beach a ways, offshore about 20 ft. No one else can find it, for it is only known to me and those few I show it to. And those can never return unless I bring them again.” _or they are of angelic descent._ Kade looked at me in confusion. He opened his door, then smiled at me before undoing his seat belt.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing it’s so private. I have a few things to tell you also.” He took a deep breath “I’m still not entirely sure I should tell you, but I gotta feeling what we’ve got to say may be similar in origin.” I started shaking my head before he was even finished speaking “No. Listen to me. You didn’t have to take the pain earlier, I meant what I said about being fine in a minute.” I looked at him then shrugged. Figures we might as well get all of our secrets out there. I turn off the ignition and open my door. As I close my door, I hear a similar thump, indicating that Kade has exited the car as well. I turn and give him a half smile before starting for the distant dock.

“Wait a sec.” Kade grabs my arm as he hurries to keep up with me “How are we getting to this place? I hope it’s not by swimming - I don’t have a change of clothes, and I dislike getting wet.” I simply nod my head and continue walking. We reach the dock and I turn down it, Kade gripping my arm tighter as it sways with our weight and the motion of the water.

“Don’t worry.” I turn to give him a smile as I walk off the end of the dock, dragging him with me. He screams, but it gargles in his throat and dies out as I continue walking, the air forming an invisible bridge under us. “I don’t like getting wet either, it takes my feathers forever to dry.” He gapes at me, then turns his attention down. We’re nearly 30 ft above the water now, and nearing our destination. “We’re almost there. Then we can talk freely, Or at least, I can. My contract for Earthian assignments doesn’t bind me in a place of my creation.” He looks at me, but he doesn’t appear entirely shocked. Just startled.

“Contract? Earthian assignment? Feathers?” His voice shakes as his body trembles, and our feet hit solid ground. We’re standing in an hidden island, created by me for when I need solitude from the world and its inhabitants. I remove my jacket and release the tension keeping my wings hidden. Kades' eyes widen in understanding. “Wings.” He gasps “Angel.” Then he stares directly into my eyes and states, very clearly,  “Like me.” It’s my turn to be shocked.

“You're in the service too?” My voice catches as he removes his cotton shirt, giving me a full view of perfectly sculpted chest muscles, trembling as he calls forth his wings. I gasp. His wings are not like mine. Mine are a pure white with streaks of gold down the edges of the feathers. His are a sky blue with thin streaks of white down the center, and a dazzling red along the edges. “Fallen? How? I thought all of the fallen had their wings stripped from them?” He smiles at my shock and confusion.

“I’m not fallen. Just… half fallen. My mother was in the service, my father.” His voice turns sour and I can see to struggle to spit out what is troubling him “My father was a bad man, a bad angel, even for a fallen. He seduced my mother without revealing what he was, and less than a year after the last time she saw him, she had me.” His face twists into a grim smile “Then she know both who, and what my father was. I got inducted into the service young. I was barely 20. most don’t join until they are at least 50.” He chuckles. “This was some 25 years ago though. How bout you?”

“I am a mix of three races. Fallen, Angel, and…” I take a deep calming breath “And human.” I peek at his face for a reaction. I see only curiosity so I continue “My great great grandfather was human, his wife, a fallen. my great grandfather was a pure white angel, and he fell in love with their mortal, yet winged daughter and they had my grandmother. She was the first to be a mix of three in my line.” I take another steadying breath ”She was also mortal, like her mother. She met my grandfather, who was a pure golden angel, and they were happy until they had my dad, and she died bearing him.” I peek again and see shock and sorrow etched on Kades' face “My father was the first to be immortal, granted through my grandmother’s dying breath. His wings were like yours, except his had a golden rim. My mother was a pure archangel, and was absolutely enchanted by my father.” I sigh, lost in memories “She was surprised when she discovered she was going to have me. I don’t think she expected to have kids. I am mostly archangel, and white angel, which is why my wings are primarily white, but I do have some blue at the base, and as you can clearly see, I inherited my father’s golden outline on the feathers.” I look into his face, fully tilting my head up for the first time since I started talking. “My birth mother did name me Shadow, but not for the reason I told you. She said I was a shadow, a dark mark on her record that would never come off.”

“That’s horrible Shadow. I’m sorry your mother didn’t care for you.”

I laugh, peals ringing off the trees “Didn’t care for me? That's an understatement. I have seen her maybe twice since I was born nearly half a century ago. She dumped me with my dad, then after telling him my name, she walked out of our lives.” I gulp in a soothing breath of air. I realize my hands are shaking as I push my hair out of my face. “ I entered the service young, like you. I was only 19, though. I had to get away from my dad. He turned abusive after the first time my mom visited me, and he blamed me for her leaving him. He might have been right.” Kade looked at me like I was a kicked puppy that had been abused in front of him. I looked past is face to his beautiful wings. Gesturing with my hand, I asked “My I try something?” Kade pulled himself out of thought, his gaze focusing on my hand.

“What do you want to do? And, if I may ask, Why?” He gazed at my hand as though it were a snake to bite him.

“You have a shadow on the inside of both of your wings, indicating they have been broken recently, and healed poorly. One of my ‘special’ talents that comes from my archangel mother is an exceptional ability to heal, not only myself, but others.” He turns his head and looks at his wing briefly, before glancing back at my face. “You know that angels cannot lie when asked a direct question about something. Ask me and remove your doubts, friend.”

“You can fix my wings so I can fly again?” His voice wavered with hidden pain as he looks from my hand to my face, to his wings.

“Yes.” A look of intense relief passed over his face as I approached him, and I run a hand along the soft down on the inside of his wing. It was a bad break, and I felt the wing shudder as my presence forced the bones to straighten, realign, and heal. I quickened this process by calling up a small portion of my own life force and twining it with his own for a few moments. “This is a really bad break, and it doesn’t help that it healed partially on its own. I’m having to re break some of the smaller bones near your shoulder joint.” I ran my hand down the wing, crouching to feel along the points of the bone for any more damage “Do you feel anymore pain? I’m not sensing much more damage on this wing.”

Kade grunted and clenched his teeth as I moved to his other wing and tugged it strait. He sucked in a deep breath as I set to work fixing that damage in that wing as well. “Not much, but I think the damage is as bad as it is now because of the punch you gave me earlier. I don’t remember it hurting this much when I initially put my wings away.” He sucks in another breath before continuing “You're probably wondering how I sustained that much damage to my wings.” I was, but I wasn't going to ask “I was flying down the coast to an assignment, and I’m not entirely sure how or why, but a white hot bolt of lightning struck me down last night over the high school. I compelled the teachers to forget that I wasn’t enrolled, and hoped to heal enough over the next few days to make it back to my Foster's house. That’s another reason I was at the school, to watch over my assignment as best as I could while my powers were being drained by my injury.” I was startled to find tears running down my face as I listened to what happened to him, and from the pain of his injury being healed by my life force, by my essence. I wiped my face and stood. Kade stretched his back  “Thank you for healing my injury. That felt wonderful, the healing I mean.” Kade rolled his shoulders, and stretched his wings. “Do you think I could fly here? If not, then…” I wiped my face again. Then I did something I probably would regret later. I stretched my arms, wrapping them around his neck.

I pulled his face down to mine, and as our wings wrapped together, I kissed him. Just a peck really, But I slowed time for a moment so I felt like the kiss would last forever. As I was deepening the kiss, my lips slightly parted, he pulled back. I opened my eyes and blushed, dropping my eyes to the ground. “Sorry. I .. I just wanted to see what it was like. Kissing, I mean.” My eyes closed as I felt mortification wrap around me, and my wings cocooned me as I dropped to the ground. I hugged my knees to my chest as the tears blurred my vision once more. I had never felt so alone as I did in that moment. I felt sure that I had just ruined any chance of Kade understanding my feelings, and my duty to him.

 

    I heard the brush of feathers across the dirt, and felt strong hands grip the edges of my wings, slowly pulling them apart. “Hey now, don’t cry. Shadow, that was one of the best experiences of my life. You are a wonderful, kind, and sensitive girl. I’m honored to be your first kiss. I pulled away because you know as well as I do that our higher ups won’t allow a relationship between two angels on the same assignment.” I looked up, my face wet, and my nose streaming from the tears. He gently wiped my tears away with his fingers.

    “On the same assignment? How do you know who I’m assigned to protect? Or that my assignment is to protect someone?” Kade looked confused, then pulled something out of his pocket. I grabbed it out of his hand and read the name. “But that doesn’t make sense!? Why would I be your assignment?” I gasp realizing something. “Kade. No Kaden. what's your last name?” I dug in my own pocket for my own slip of paper. It read **_Kaden Alturino._ **

“Alturino. Why?” I show him the slip. He reads it and purses his lips, thinking. “Weird. I wonder why …” He shakes his head and stares down at the sands of the beach.

“I’m your assignment. You’re my assignment. What does that mean?” I shake my head the realize something. “What did you mean earlier when you said you thought I was a ghost from your past, Kade?” I heard him suck in a breath then let it out as his green eyes turned thoughtful.

“I received an assignment pertaining to you once before. Just once, but I had barely gotten to the town you were at at the time when I got recalled. I couldn’t resist seeing you once before leaving, though.” I gape at him, putting the pieces together.

“Once before? The only time I have been seriously in need of help was about 10 years ago. But the problem resolved itself after about a week, and the promised help never turned up. Was the town called Marino?” The Sabbatical Disaster. Great. Figures this would come up, and come up now of all the times.

“How did..? Oh. yea. Duh. Sorry. Yes the town was Marino. I guess I was your promised help. Sorry about not turning up. I had two other angels with me that were supposed to check in with you. You sure no one showed?” Kade looked at me, and holding my eyes, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug. I sank into it and let the feelings of comfort and peace calm my tears.

“Yes. I’m absolutely positive that no one checked in. Unless. You said you saw me before you left? What if they saw me, but didn’t make contact?” I pulled out of the hug slightly so I could see his eyes.

“I did see you, but I didn’t make contact. So I suppose it’s possible that they did the same thing. They were supposed to check in though. Just outta curiosity, how old are you Shadow?” His eyes were soft, and conveyed a sense of concern for my well being.

I grinned “I am close to the same age as you. Around 45. Give or take 3 or so years. My dad wasn’t really precise on record keeping. How old are you?” He looked surprised. “Just so you know, another of my gifts is sensing emotion and intentions.” He looks at me as though under a new light.

“I am 45 years old tomorrow. So you can sense emotions and intentions, can you?” He leaned forward and brushed my hair from my face. I sensed what he was going to do, and leaned into his touch, bracing myself as his lips met mine again. He deepened the kiss as my arms wrapped around his neck, securing his face to mine. The kiss lasted for several seconds before we broke away to gasp in breaths. As I regained my sense of self, I felt his hands running down the sensitive inner feathers of my wings. I shivered in pleasure and returned the gesture before returning to kissing him passionately. I felt my wings lift, and felt his wrap around us. My wings did the same, and we were cocooned in a bundle of sky blue and white gold feathers.

We were both gasping as we broke away. In an attempt to regain my composure, I suggested “How about that flight? We can test to see if there is any more damage in your wings.” Kade nodded, and pulled me to my feet before wrapping me in another hug. He released me and I braced my wings to take to the sky.

The ground fell away as my wings beat against the air for a moment, then I was soaring over the dark trees. “So you’re a half-ling, huh?” My wings beat in time with his as I slowed to see his face “That kinda explains why I wasn't able to make you forget about me during class.” His head turns, and his flight wobbles as his wings stall for a second. “I can’t compel angels who are… Well. I could compel my father, to a point. Not enough to stop him from hitting me, but enough for him to leave me alone most of the time.” I pause to gather my thoughts before forging ahead with my confession “I think it has something to do with my being half archangel, 1/16 human,and 1/16 fallen, and ⅜ common angel. I can compel ordinary humans, or human - angel mixes, but not any who have fallen blood in them. To an extent. I only had some control over dear old dad because he’s ⅛  human, and ⅛ fallen, being half archangel probably gave me the extent of control I did have over him.” I sighed, and settled into a slow spiral as we came to a full circuit of the small floating island. I settled to the ground, and felt feathers brush over my back as my wings folded. I concentrated and they disappeared from view.

The ground shook slightly as Kade landed beside me, wrapping me in a hug. “I’m sorry that your dad beat you. If he were here, I would beat him to teach a lesson on respect. Do you think the sway you hold over humans and angels has anything to do with your mother? Or more likely your fallen ancestor. That may explain why you can’t .. how'd you say it? Compel? the fallen.” I turned to look at Kade and, and gasped as I read his intentions. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed myself up on my toes, he ducked his head, meeting me halfway. His lips met mine, and I breathed in his angelic scent, abruptly losing any train of thought I may have had. I couldn't think, couldn't do anything except feel the emotions he was feeling mingle with my own as desire overtook my body. I was beyond caring about the consequences of our actions when I felt Kade pull away. I clung to him, unwilling to break our embrace just yet.

“Shadow.” It was barely a whisper, yet it carried enough pain and regret to cause me to unlock my arms, and retreat from Kade’s form, before turning and taking to the sky. I felt something grasp at my bare foot as tears blurred my vision. I yanked on my foot, shooting into the sky once I was released.

I heard him calling to me. Pleading for me to slow down, to talk with him. I’d been a fool to think he’d be any different than all the other men who had ever expressed interest. Mean and cruel. Wanting me for his own purpose. He was cruel and mean, only ever causing me pain with his actions, even when I’d bared my deepest secrets.

“Shadow! Stop for just a minute!” I could hear Kade gasping as he fought to catch up, and I put on another burst of speed, leaving him, and the island behind. As I felt Kade exit the perimeter of my ‘safe’ zone, it crumbled and turned to dust on the wind. “Shadow! You’re being unreasonable!” I didn’t care. Something hit my back, near where my wings joined, and I crumpled in on myself and fell through the air.

Pain. Darkness and pain. I struggled to remember what had happened. Where I was.

Light. Blinding light. Rocking. Being carried. I was being carried by someone.

Who?

My brain struggled to work as the pain shot through my body, shredding my muscles, grinding my bones to dust.

 

Darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good so far?


	4. Three

I opened my eyes for what felt like the first time in a long time.

Light.

Blinding white light.

My eyes slid closed again. A breath, a sigh. Light pressure on my hand. I fought to open my eyes again, squinting as shapes appeared through the light. The outline of tiles became apparent, before it was blocked by an oval shape leaning over me. I heard a noise, but it was muted, as if my head were submerged in water. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I raised a hand to rub the goop out of my eyes, but something tugged against my skin. I tried with my other hand, but something warm was surrounding it, and I couldn't move it. I tugged at it, and groaned when the motion sent a jolt of pain down my back.

“Shadow?” I knew this voice. I couldn't remember. “Are you okay?” Definitely familiar. Where did I know that voice from? “I’m so sorry Shadow. I’m sorry I hurt you, and ..” I wrenched my eyes open, trying to connect a face with that voice. My eyes met with two sparkling emerald green disks. The skin around those eyes was tight and red. I gasped, my sluggish mind finally made the connection. Kade. Angel. Pain. “Shadow?” His brow tensed with worry at something in my face. “Are you okay?” His concern touched me in my shell of sluggish connections.

I sucked in a deep breath to answer, wincing when more pain shot down my spine, clearing more of the fog from my mind. “I’m fi-” I gasped as I felt something, I wasn’t sure what, move against my side. My breath caught and I forced myself to exhale before continuing “-ne. Kade? What happened?” I shut my eyes tightly, then slowly opened them. “I remember. Some? Kissing you, then running. My safe haven collapsing. Then Pain. Pain and blackness. Nothing but black. Pain pulling me back, white light, blinding me. Then nothing. That's all. What happened?” Kade released my hand and brushed some of my hair out of my face before kissing me gently on the cheek.

“I have never been more afraid. You pulled away and took off at such speed, I had a hard time catching up. I had just exited the boundaries of your safe place when I got caught in the pressure wave from its destruction. I looked forward in time to see you struck like I was. Only worse. Much, much worse.”  Kade sighed and pushed a finger against the tip of my nose. “Your wings were nearly entirely burned away, and I only just caught you before you hit the ground. I didn’t know what to do, so I quickly flew to my superiors, asking for their help. They rushed you to a hospital, where they tended to your injuries, and let you heal.” Kade frowned and touched something just behind my head. My wing. I turned, trying to get a look, but my hair was in the way. I felt his touch, though, and was reassured.

“How long was I out?” I lifted my hand and grabbed for the one touching my wing - his touch sent a painful throbbing sensation knifing down my spine. Kade sighed, and let me take his hand.

“It’s been a little over two weeks. You’ve been lucid for about four days of that time, but you were not entirely consis yet. Today is the first day you’ve opened your eyes, or spoken since it happened.”

“And… My wings?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Godly effect or daemon intervention? Comment and let me know!


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